Details of the 2026 NFL schedule continue to emerge ahead of the official release on Thursday, May 14. While several matchups have already been confirmed—including the first NFL game in Australia between the Los Angeles Rams and San Francisco 49ers on September 10, the Dallas Cowboys hosting the Philadelphia Eagles on Thanksgiving, and a Week 2 Thursday Night Football clash between the Detroit Lions and Buffalo Bills at Highmark Stadium—the season opener remains a mystery.
The defending champion Seattle Seahawks are set to host the opening game on Wednesday, September 9, televised by NBC. According to Kirk Minihane, a Barstool Sports podcaster and former Boston radio host, the Seahawks will face the New England Patriots in a rematch of Super Bowl LX. Minihane posted on X: “Patriots will open the season in Seattle on 9/9, per sources.”
Seattle’s home opponents for 2026 include the Arizona Cardinals, Chicago Bears, Dallas Cowboys, Kansas City Chiefs, Los Angeles Chargers, Los Angeles Rams, New England Patriots, New York Giants, and San Francisco 49ers. However, the Rams, 49ers, Cowboys, and Giants already have scheduled Week 1 games, narrowing the potential opener opponents to the Bears, Cardinals, Chargers, Chiefs, and Patriots. The Cardinals are widely considered one of the league’s weakest teams, while Patrick Mahomes is recovering from a torn ACL, making the Chiefs an unlikely choice. The Chargers are solid but lack the ratings draw the NFL and NBC prefer for the opening night. This leaves the Bears and Patriots as the most sensible options.
Recent speculation had leaned toward the Bears, coming off a thrilling season with quarterback Caleb Williams and new head coach Ben Johnson, as they are a major-market, highly popular team with strong viewership numbers. ESPN’s Adam Schefter even said on The Pat McAfee Show, “My guess today, and it’s a guess, would be the Bears in Seattle on that Wednesday night game.” But Minihane’s report points to the Patriots, a decision that would carry significant storylines.
Super Bowl LX was a lopsided affair, with Seattle dominating 29-13. Additionally, the ongoing scandal involving NFL reporter Dianna Russini and Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel has drawn considerable attention. If the Patriots are indeed the opponent, the NFL and NBC would face increased scrutiny over how to handle the controversy during broadcast coverage, with announcers Mike Tirico and Cris Collinsworth in the booth.
The official schedule release will confirm the opener and all other matchups in the coming days.